I have a decorative outdoor water fountain (actually 2 of them). Unfortunately every year the leaves fall into the fountain and eventually the pump gets clogged. I try to clean out the leaves as much as possible but the leaves wear down the pump and the pump stops. It will work sporatically, then stop all together. Then I have to buy another pump. This has been repeated several times. Any suggestions on how to keep the leaves out of the pump?
Fountain pump clogs
Aug 22, 2010
11 Replies
Senin wrote in news:8686c63c-b6a0-4ded-9601-7f4399e64fb6 @y12g2000prb.googlegroups.com:
Nylon pantyhose or soemthing like that catches the leaves here in North Jersey ...
A screen over the pump inlet is likely to clog in short order, starving the pump. The logical choice of pumps would be a trash tolerant type, but with recirculation that leads to a reservoir of cruddy water. Other choices are getting rid of the trees, using a temporary cover in the heavier leaf fall season, shutting the system down at that time, or using city water and sending the overflow down the drain. Tough call, for sure.
Joe
Intake strainer comes to mind.
First you need a filter. Get or make a filter with lots of surface area and coarse filter media. Lowes sells pumps that come with a half assed filter that works great for leaves but not fine debris.
Also when you clean out the leaves, remove the filter and use the garden hose to flush the system backwards. Flushing the pump backwards I don't see how much will stay clogged.
You mean you throw Snooki in the fountain to clean it out? You must have a real Situation?
TDD
The Daring Dufas wrote in news:i4s96b$ik3 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
What's Snooki (grin)?
Of course, I'm real alright. Talking about fountains - here in 07410 we have no more drought and we do blow bubbles tonight. We had some fearful rains ...
I took a plastic milk carton, cut the top off, and drilled holes in it. Stuck the pump in the carton then put some filter material in to block the pump in. Seems to work pretty well. There are all sorts of methods though.
I suspect you could just cut a flap in the milk carton too and leave one side of the flap still attached. It would just close itself. Cut a notch in the flap for the power cord.
You beat me to it.
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They all sound like my Damn Yankee Guido relatives. 8-)
TDD
Senin wrote the following:
How about a homemade screen around the pump. Here is an example used over a gutter downspout.
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Looks like that guy is asking for galvanic corrosion of his expensive copper gutters. He should use copper screening.
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